Many robots are mobile, but few are truly portable. Most robotic systems cannot be easily moved from one location to another. Robots are being developed for a wide variety of uses, from technically-complex tasks such as exploring the deep oceans, surveying distant planets, or performing surgery, to more socially-complex tasks such as leading guided tours, interacting with humans, monitoring secure areas, delivering mail, and making sales presentations. As more uses are discovered for sophisticated robotic systems, mobility will become increasingly important.
Generally, a robot is an electromechanical device that senses information about its environment, processes the sensory data gathered, and in response follows a set of instructions and performs a task. Robots generally possess some degree of mobility. Modern robots may include a myriad of sensors and may be programmed to take action automatically based upon the information gathered by those sensors.
Advances in computer science have increased the processing speed and complexity with which robotic systems can gather and analyze data. As the analytical capacity of robots approach higher levels of reasoning and thought, more and more robotic systems will be able to operate autonomously. Autonomous operation includes making reasoned and situation-appropriate decisions and planning future action. Technological advances will improve the ability of robots to participate in socially complex tasks, such as interacting with humans.
Robot portability is desirable because new uses and applications are being developed that require frequent transportation of robotic systems. Most robots cannot travel great distances because they are too slow, too limited by terrain, or their drive systems are too inefficient. Accordingly, most robotic systems must be transported by other means. For long distances, the limitations imposed by commercial transportation represent a significant barrier for most robotic systems. For shorter distances, the average person usually cannot move an entire robotic system because most systems are too large or too heavy to be easily moved or carried.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved apparatus and method of transporting a robotic system to a distant site without additional equipment and without sacrificing the expected advantages and benefits offered by using robotics at various locations.